RATING: 4/5
CONTEMPORARY dance meets circus, Angel-Monster by Australian led Phluxus2 Dance Collective is an empowering message for women at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
Opening with audience participation we’re introduced to a number of the performers in a warm and welcoming way.
To contrast this, some manic and almost disconcerting actions and words lead us into a slightly twisted and scary world of conflicting emotion.
The dancers seem almost puppet-like with jerky and sudden movements breaking out mid-conversation, along with lines like “tell her she’s beautiful” and “everyone wants to be beautiful”.
This is followed by a dancer dragging herself along the floor in front of the front row asking audience members “what’s the best thing about being a woman?”.
And then we get into the performance.
The staccato marionette-like movements carry on throughout the show which contrast vividly with the manic and expressive emotion shown on the dancers’ faces.
Breaking out periodically into fits of gleeful laughter and eerily cheery smiles contributes further to the uneasy contrast.
The puppet movement breaks down eventually turning into very well choreographed and flowing movements creating an enjoyable and professional performance.
The entire cast of five women and their choreographer and director credited themselves excellently.
With hugely important themes conveyed expertly throughout, the show is a must-see for any and all at this year’s Fringe.
Though I, as a white man, cannot truly understand some of the plights described through the show, the themes that are perfectly conveyed throughout the performance were definitely not lost on me.
Themes of consent, control, violence and empowerment in a highly-pressured world in particular are made transparent.
A rollercoaster of emotion makes the audience feel uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time, creating a contrast that befits the title of the show.
Angel Monster did a great job of doing what it set out to do.
Phluxus2 artistic director Nerida Matthaei says: “I have always been drawn to create work that is led by the beauty and dissonance of our shifting world.
I have also always been a fighter, as a young girl to today, questioning and calling out on ideologies and stereotypes in pursuit of equality.
“The creation of Angel-Monster came naturally as I fought to understand why, today, we are still questioning equality.
“Why does my eight-year-old niece need to ask why there are no pink trucks, why do we ask what she was wearing, why are the statistics getting worse and not better, why are decisions about our own bodies policed by those who don’t own them?
“The list goes on.”
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